Part 2: My parents left me at age 9, forcing my grandfather to raise me alone. A decade later, they arrived at his funeral, demanding the $120 million fortune. But when the lawyer read the will, their faces turned white with shock.

Elena grabbed the remote and switched on the local network affiliate.

The screen cut to a live interview in front of the state capitol in Helena. A slick, aggressive television reporter stood with a microphone shoved toward two figures dressed in black mourning clothes.

Eleanor and Richard.

Beside them stood a sharp-featured man with slicked-back silver hair and an expensive tailored overcoat. Donald Vance—the minority shareholder Elena had warned me about.

"We just want our boy back," Eleanor was sobbing on national television, wiping away theatrical tears with a pristine handkerchief. "Walter was failing in health for months. He isolated our son Michael on that remote ranch, cutting him off from everyone who loved him. And now, under the guidance of shady corporate handlers, our son has locked us out of his life and stolen his grandfather's entire legacy!"

Richard stepped into the camera frame, looking like a broken, devastated patriarch. "Michael is only twenty years old. He's vulnerable, uneducated in high finance, and being manipulated by corporate sharks within Aegis BioTech. We are filing an emergency petition to freeze all corporate shares and place Michael under a protective legal conservatorship!"

The camera turned to Donald Vance, who spoke with practiced corporate solemnity. "As the managing partner of Vance Capital and minority trustee of Aegis, our duty is to preserve shareholder stability. If Walter Reynolds was coerced into transferring controlling voting stock to an inexperienced youth under dubious circumstances, the board must act immediately to protect the company."

The reporter looked at the camera with sensational fervor: *"A tragic family feud erupts over the historic Reynolds fortune. Is young Michael Reynolds a victim of corporate greed, or an ungrateful son who banished his grieving parents? More at eleven."*

Elena switched off the television. The room was dead silent.

"Donald Vance bought them," Elena said, her voice laced with fury. "Vance couldn't challenge Walter’s will directly because of the forfeiture clause, so he’s using your parents to manufacture a public media circus and file for an emergency conservatorship. If a judge grants a temporary injunction on your shares, Vance can take control of the board on Friday and execute the buyout before we can even get a court date."

"A conservatorship," I whispered, the absurdity and cruelty of it burning in my chest. "They want to declare me legally incompetent so they can take control of the shares."

Karen walked into the study, her phone still in hand, her jaw set. "Donald Vance’s legal team just filed the emergency motion in the county district court. The hearing is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. The local press is already descending on the ranch gates."

I looked at the window. In the distance, down the long private drive, the headlights of news vans were already beginning to gather like jackals around a kill.

They thought I was an ignorant ranch boy who would cower under the glare of their cameras and the weight of their lawyers.

I reached into my pocket, feeling the crisp, notarized custody contract from nine years ago.

"Elena," I said, my voice eerily calm. "Call a full press conference. Tomorrow morning, at the Aegis headquarters in Helena. Three hours before the emergency court hearing."

"What are you going to do, Michael?" Elena asked, searching my eyes.